


Little Brother

by TwoBladeBae



Category: One Piece
Genre: M/M, gremlin frog child, haruta is mute, haruta is non binary, i didn’t hurt him this time, i love them, izo loves being a big bro, soft, spoilers for 962 and onward, wano
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:01:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21537130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoBladeBae/pseuds/TwoBladeBae
Summary: The crew decides to celebrate Ace and the Spade Pirates joining the crew, and Izo finally has a chance to talk to his new brother.
Relationships: Izou/Thatch (One Piece)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 74





	1. Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace had spent his first few weeks on the Moby Dick gushing about his little brother and talking the ears off of anyone who will listen. This time he gets to be on the receiving end when Izo decides to share a story of his own.

The whitebeards never truly needed a reason to party. They would do it no matter what, just for the hell of it. Sometimes someone would come up with a ridiculous reason to party and everyone around would agree; the crew just enjoyed partying. But Ace finally giving up on trying to kill whitebeard and becoming a full member of the crew instead was definitely a reason to party. 

Ace had chosen a seat on the main deck to relax in, a large mug of beer held in one hand. He scanned the crowd around him, cheeks flushed from the alcohol, eyes wide with joy. He was officially a member of the crew now, and it felt good! 

Well, his back didn’t exactly feel great, but the tattoo would heal soon enough. He scratched at the bandages lining his torso and began gulping down the rest of his drink. It had taken him a few weeks of getting used to the crew and meeting everyone before he’d felt comfortable enough to take the next step and get the whitebeard mark. Of course he’d spent as much of it as possible gushing about Luffy, but none of the crew seemed to mind. 

He caught a glimpse of pink in the corner of his eye and turned, watching as Izo took a seat beside him. The older man let out a soft sigh, resting his head on his shoulder and letting his eyes fall shut. 

“Izo?” Ace smiled softly, setting his beer down. “You okay down there? You don’t normally use people other than Thatch as pillows.” 

“Mm…” he laughed and opened his eyes again, looking up at his new crewmate. It was obvious he was fairly drunk as well, from the pink tint across his cheeks and the way his eyelids were heavy. “You remind me of myself when I was younger.” 

He flashed a smug grin in response, gently nudging his arm. “Because I’m so devilishly handsome? Aw man, Izo, I’m flattered.” 

Izo snorted in laughter, covering his mouth. “No, no.” He nuzzled in closer against his shoulder, “You and your little brother...reminds me of me and my little sister.” He closed his eyes, expression falling slightly. 

Ace paused, eyes widening slightly. “Your sister?” He asked softly, debating wrapping an arm around him. “I didn’t know you had a little sister, Izo.” A freckled arm reached out slowly, resting on the man’s shoulders in support. Izo let out a soft, appreciative whine at the action and nuzzled into him. Ace hadn’t talked to him much while on the crew; he spent most of his time with Thatch and Haruta.

“Mhm. Back in Wano.” Silence settled between them, the sounds of the party just background noise now. “Her name is Kiku. She’s a wonderful young woman...I miss her dearly.” He sat up a bit, downing the remainder of his beer. Ace stayed quiet, simply waiting for him to continue speaking. 

“We grew up alone...on the streets. Our father was killed, so we just tried to make money however we could. I would dance, she would play music…” the man turned, holding his mug out and gratefully accepting the refill from a nearby crewmate. 

Ace chewed softly on his lower lip, watching the other man. “I’m sorry, that sounds...terrible.” 

He took a sip of his beer, glancing out at the crowd. “We had each other and that’s what mattered. Of course after we began following Oden all that changed, and suddenly we had a family and a home again. Then when I met whitebeard…” the man trailed off, opting to take another long drink of his beer instead of speaking. 

“I miss her...hearing you talk about Luffy reminds me of our own relationship.” He turned his gaze up to Ace then, reaching up and gently pinching his cheek. He tugged on him a bit, breaking into a grin. 

“I suppose I have a new baby brother now though, don’t I?” An elegant laugh fell from his lips as he leaned in, kissing his cheek softly. 

“Heeey!” Ace whined and puffed out his cheeks, making it more difficult for Izo to keep pinching them. “I’m not a baby.” 

“No, but you’re my little brother.” He giggled and sipped at his beer again, leaning against his side. “I’ve missed having a younger sibling with me. Kiku and I were inseparable…” 

The two of them fell silent, simply enjoying the moment and the presence of the other. 

Ace knew what it felt like to love a younger sibling, and also what it felt like to lose one. He related to Izo’s pain more than the other man knew, but that wasn’t a story for tonight. 

“If we ever go back to Wano,” he started, looking down. “I’d like to meet her.” 

“I’d like that too, Ace.” 

It was another few moments of silence between them before Thatch finally approached, his arms open wide and a smile stretched across his cheeks. 

“Izo! Hey, I’ve been looking all over for you!” He reached out for him, holding his hand out to help him up. 

“Hello, love.” Izo grinned, setting his empty mug off to the side as he took his hand, pulling himself to his feet and using his other to cup the man’s cheek. He leaned in, capturing his lips in a gentle, loving kiss. “I’ve just been talking to Ace.” 

“I can see that,” Thatch laughed and kissed back eagerly, wrapping his arms around the smaller man’s waist. “I was hoping to spend some time with you, if that’s alright with Ace.” 

Ace shook his head, holding up his hand. “That’s fine. Go have some fun.” 

Izo glanced back at him, giving him a nod. “Thanks, little brother.” He turned back to Thatch then, wrapping his fingers around the yellow foulard around his neck and using it to pull him into another kiss. 

The freckled man watched the two stumble away no doubt to one of their bedrooms for some much needed alone time as he brought his beer back up to his lips. 

He liked the feeling of being a little brother. 


	2. Haruta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's no surprise to anyone that Izo is the go-to commander when younger members need answers or help with gender related questions, but he's alright with that. It is a surprise to him however, when their twelfth division commander is the one that comes knocking.

Haruta stood outside the thick wooden door, nervously wringing his hands together and chewing on his lower lip. There was a large 16 painted elegantly near the top and it offered a bit of comfort to his troubled mind, his lips quirking into a gentle smile. He could do this! Too many nights had already been wasted on contemplating and worrying. 

He raised one hand, rapping a few times with his knuckles before rocking back on his heels. He’d ditched his usual boots in favor of a pair of dark green slippers; they were much more comfortable and made it easier to sneak up on fellow commanders. 

The door was pulled open, and Izo stood in the archway, one hand on the doorknob and the other resting on the frame. The sight of the younger commander brought a small smile to his face and he relaxed a bit, relieved it wasn’t something bad. 

“Haruta,” he started, leaning against the doorframe. “What brings you here?” 

Haruta stayed still for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He hadn’t figured out exactly how he was going to bring it up, or if Izo would even be able to help. He was starting to question if this was a good idea or not. 

Izo seemed to sense his nerves and his smile fell a bit, expression softening. He turned a bit to look inside the room again. “Thatch, didn’t you say you needed to take inventory in the kitchen tonight?” 

There was a groan from inside the bedroom, followed by a muffled “I don’t want to” from the brunette. It took a few moments of coaxing from Izo before he finally got up, ruffling Haruta’s hair on his way out. 

“It looked like you might want a bit of privacy for this.” 

Haruta wasn’t sure how the man always seemed to know what other people felt, but it was a good skill. He gratefully took the outstretched hand that had been offered to him, stepping inside his bedroom. Izo took a seat on one of the plush chairs, Haruta collapsing onto the bed. 

Silence rested between them as Izo wanted to give the younger man a chance to start the conversation. He ran his fingers through his hair and began to mindlessly braid it, watching his fellow crewmate. 

Finally Haruta brought his hands up, signing slowly and unlike usual, a bit shyly. A blush had begun to creep its way up his cheeks. 

“ _You’re good with,_ ” he paused, hands hanging in midair and fidgeting on the bed before continuing, “ _You know...gender, right?_ ” 

Izo paused in his braiding for just a moment before continuing, not wanting to appear shocked or react too openly; but it was almost exactly how Kiku had started the conversation all those years ago, shy and fidgeting in her seat. This wasn’t the first time a younger crewmate had sought him out for questions like this either, and he assumed it wouldn’t be the last. 

He simply gave a nod in response, crossing his legs. “Fairly well, yes.” It was no secret he’d experimented quite a bit in his youth before realizing he was content with being male. He was just comfortable enough in himself and his background to dress the way he did. “Did you have a question?” 

The brunette nodded, appreciating the gentle tone in the man’s voice. He wasn’t upset or annoyed, simply curious and wanting to help. “ _Well_ ,” he rubbed his palms together nervously, “ _Do you have to be one or the other? Do I have to be a boy just because people say I am?_ ” 

This brought a large smile back to Izo’s face and he chuckled softly, shaking his head. “No, not at all. You can be whatever you feel like.” He tied off his braid and let it rest over his shoulder, repeating the same phrase he had given to his little sister, “Do you feel like a boy?” 

Haruta shook his head a bit faster than he expected to, a bit shocked at his own reaction. “ _But I don’t feel like a girl either._ ” he added, completing the sign with a shrug. 

Izo nodded, resting his chin in his palm. “That’s perfectly understandable. And there’s a word for that.” 

“ _There is?_ ” The young commander’s face lit up, hands easily portraying his eagerness. “ _So it is a real thing?_ ” 

“Yes,” his smile widened further at the younger’s reaction. This was always his favorite part of these little talks. “Those who don’t identify with a gender use non-binary. How does that sound?” 

Haruta let the words roll around in his brain for a bit, thinking it over before he nodded. “ _Yeah, I like that!_ ” He nodded quickly, “ _That sounds really good!_ ” 

“What about your pronouns?” He asked, unable to hold back his grin. “You could continue to use he/him if that’s what you’d like. They/them is always an option as well. It would be, ‘This is for Haruta. They’re the leader of the twelfth division. They’re in their room right now. Can you take this to them?’” 

If the young pirate could, they would have been squealing happily into their palms. Instead they settled with holding their face happily, a wide grin stretched across their cheeks. That sounded so nice! It was immediate love, and they brought their smile back up to Izo and gave a nod. 

“ _I love it!_ ”

Izo grinned and stood up from his chair, striding over to the bed and sitting next to them. He wrapped his arms around their small frame and pulled them into a tight, loving embrace, going as far as to kiss their temple softly. There would never be anyone that could replace Kiku in his life, but having younger siblings like Ace and Haruta lessened the pain. 

“How about your wardrobe? Do you want to change that too?” His voice was almost too excited; he loved making clothes and helping people he loved look and feel their best. He had a large stash of fabric in his dresser, ranging from dark to pastel, rough cotton to smooth silk. “You don’t have to appear androgynous if you don’t want to, but that’s an option.”

Haruta thought it over, nuzzling into the man’s embrace and closing his eyes. They resorted to tapping his arm, a language they had created with Whitebeard and the commanders for quick and easy communication. 

“Gremlin,” Izo repeated, laughing softly. “I suppose it fits with what everyone already calls you. I suppose you want green?”   
  
They only nodded, tapping at his arm a few more times. 

“Fancy, ambiguous frog...I think I can do that.” He held them a little bit tighter, not wanting to let go just yet. Haruta didn’t seem to mind, however, simply burrowing closer and enjoying his warmth. 

* * *

It was Haruta that got a few eager knocks on their bedroom door this time, looking up with a mildly confused expression. Anyone from their division usually used a specific knock so they knew who it was, and Thatch and Ace just barged in without warning. They stood up, making their way over to the door and pulling it open just a little bit. Izo waved from the other side and they grinned, opening it further. 

“ _What brings you over here?_ ” They asked, stepping back and giving enough room for him to enter. He was holding a large bag, an equally large smile on his face. 

“I want to see if these fit!” He set the bag down on their desk, digging through and pulling out a light green shirt and white pants. He turned, holding them out to them, “Go on then, I’ll turn around and you try it all on and see what you think.”

Haruta accepted the clothing with wide eyes, looking up to nod and thank him but Izo had already turned around. They grinned, beginning to undress and switch over into the new outfit. 

It was another few moments before they grabbed at Izo’s sleeve and tugged to let him know he could look again, bouncing on the balls of their feet with a wide grin. The clothes fit perfectly, as usual, and they loved the way Izo had somehow captured their sense of style from just one description. 

“You like it?” He asked, leaning down a bit and pulling at the fabric to test the fit. He glanced up at their expression, watching them nod eagerly in response before throwing their arms around him, nuzzling against his neck and gripping the back of his kimono. They tapped his arm happily, trying to burrow closer. 

Izo let out a small sigh, wrapping his arms around them in response and cupping the back of their head protectively. They stayed silent, holding back a small wave of tears and content to just hold their little sibling instead. 

It seemed like he would always little siblings to take care of, and he was okay with that. 


End file.
